We were supposed to kick with the ball of the foot with turning kicks in TKD, I always thought that was fucking insane. My toes don't bend back far enough, never saw anyone do it in sparring. Seen people break boards like that though. I think it's a very very silly idea still.

Otherwise, I think your contact is not as good as you think. This of course my opinion and I can definitely be wrong.

Or, you could very well be right. I'm not making a qualitative statement, just one based on personal experience and personal observation of others who I know are much better than I am. I still have yet to see a broken foot from striking with the ball. If that were the case, there would be a ton of broken feet just from front thrust kicks. I have seen injuries result from striking a hard target with the top of the foot but not the ball, or from the kick not executed properly. Been there, done that.

I'm very open to discussion and others opinions, and have a very open mind. I would love to see some evidence of a broken foot from a kick done properly with the ball of the foot. Granted, I've only been doing martial arts for seven years but Bullshido is the first place I've ever heard of this.

Kick a heavy bag full force with the ball of your foot, and then with the shin. You CAN kick with the ball of your foot, but why bother. The shin is much more effective.

I've never seen broken feet personally, but I have seen (and experienced) hyperextended toes. Steel-toe boots eliminate this problem.

I think the shin is a superb weapon. It's hard, it's dense, it's ridged. In close enough to strike with it, the shin is the way to go. Out a little farther, targeting the head, etc., the ball of the foot shouldn't be eliminated as an option.

I haven't hyperextended a toe but I have sprained a toe big time by not having them pulled up properly. Took me quite a while to develop the muscle control to be able to do that.

Steel toe boots are the great equalizer. Doesn't matter what you kick, it's gonna hurt!

Or, you could very well be right. I'm not making a qualitative statement, just one based on personal experience and personal observation of others who I know are much better than I am. I still have yet to see a broken foot from striking with the ball. If that were the case, there would be a ton of broken feet just from front thrust kicks. I have seen injuries result from striking a hard target with the top of the foot but not the ball, or from the kick not executed properly. Been there, done that.

I'm very open to discussion and others opinions, and have a very open mind. I would love to see some evidence of a broken foot from a kick done properly with the ball of the foot. Granted, I've only been doing martial arts for seven years but Bullshido is the first place I've ever heard of this.

Look, it's not that hard to see. You're in there throwing with someone. You kick with your silly "ball-of-the-foot" roundhouse. He covers up, you catch his elbow/knee, and BAM!, 3 broken bones.

Whereas if you were kicking with your shin and you catch an elbow/knee, you say "****, that hurts" and then proceed to throw some more.

Now, if you're throwing a front kick/push kick/ teep/whatever the **** they call it, and you're aiming for the midsection, you are much less likely to encounter something pointy that's going to break your foot.

Originally Posted by Goju - joe

being a dick with skill is only marginally better than being a dick without skill.

A hard kick from a shin is like being hit with a baseball bat. A bat can be an effective weapon, and so can a shin. There's no reason to risk injury to your feet by messing around with that ball of the foot ****. Even if the ball of the foot was a more effective weapon (which I'm not going to concede) it's not worth the injury risk.

Look, it's not that hard to see. You're in there throwing with someone. You kick with your silly "ball-of-the-foot" roundhouse. He covers up, you catch his elbow/knee, and BAM!, 3 broken bones.

Whereas if you were kicking with your shin and you catch an elbow/knee, you say "****, that hurts" and then proceed to throw some more.

Now, if you're throwing a front kick/push kick/ teep/whatever the **** they call it, and you're aiming for the midsection, you are much less likely to encounter something pointy that's going to break your foot.

Well, of course. I never questioned that. I've been talking about the kick being done right and hitting it's target. If something goes awry, of course you can get hurt.

Ever see the clip of the TKD guy that snapped his tib/fib when he hit with his shin instead of his foot?